Herald of the Lotus
by Mirai Akina
Summary: OC warning! Elrois is destroyed once, and a boy sacrifices his life to restart the world, hoping only to see his love's smile again. Now reawakened in a world so familiar yet so different, the Elgang sets off on their journey to save the world. Will Elrios burn once more, or will the past give them enough strength to save what's close to them?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone and welcome to yet another multi-chaptered fanfiction! The fandom I'm going to write in is Elsword, due to me recently obsessing over it (it's not doing wonders on my health). So a few things before we start: this story was born due to my frustrations of not having a healer class. I do know how game-breaking that would be (and how awful it'll be in PvP), but the pot life is real in this game. Another thing is that there are going to be two main OCs in this, and I can already hear the distress/loss of respect I'm going to get. Rest assured that after writing for a long time, I now know how to make a character and incorporate strengths, weaknesses, and a relatable personality. Well, at least I think I do. I'll let you be the judge of that. This is a retelling of the main plot in Elsword with small changes and surprises along the way, so do not expect exact dialogue from me. I repeat, do not expect the dialogue to be word for word like the game. I do not want to make another character just so I can watch all of the cutscenes. With that out of the way, read and review, or follow and favorite. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword or any of its related works. The OCs, Rain and Rui, belong to me. Jobs are revealed later in the story. Rain will be classified as a healer, and Rui will be classified as a paper blader in the beginning of the story.**_

 **Chapter 1: The El Search Begins!**

"Hey, come back with that!" a young, adolescent boy demands as he draws his sword. His fiery hair clashes with the vibrant green of the forest, and he moves like fire. Every dash towards the chuckling bandit only encourages the knight, who basks in the heat that is slowly blinding his sight. A hastily propped fence blocks his path, and the swordsman swings his weapon down to bring an end to its flimsy existence.

"Ha! As if that was enough to stop me!"

He continues to forge forward, eventually stopping when several masked bandits uncover their daggers and engage him.

"Mega Slash!"

With one mighty hit, his opponents fall. The boy flexes his fingers and smirks at his handiwork. "Are all bandits like this? They sure are weak," he muses. Running down the path yet again, he watches from the side as more bandits confront a grotesque wolf, who is standing on his hind legs.

"I must have the El! Give up already!" the beast gurgles, flinging the pathetic humans off his back. It then turns to the fiery boy, and its grip on the crystal tightens.

"Give it back!" His sword thrust approaches the wolf with dizzying speed, but it bounces off harmlessly. Enraged that this puny creature has the nerve to challenge it, the wolf howls, pushing the boy onto the ground.

Gritting his teeth, the knight stands onto his feet, breathing heavily through his nose. "In that case…!" A sudden light coats his body; the surge of energy courses through his body. Power exudes from his form, and the sword in his hand infuses it into itself.

"Mega Slash!" he cries again, bringing down the blade with even more force than before. His opponent growls, rumbling the trees witnessing their fight. It picks itself up, but the gash of its shoulder starts to color its blue skin with a sickly shade of black.

Roaring until the birds fled for their lives, pushing the knight onto the dirt floor yet again, the beast charges toward its attacker, and the boy grits his teeth, realizing he will not have enough time to dodge it.

"Chain Fireball!"

"Rail Stinger!"

Three fireballs and an arrow soar past the swordsman's head, and the wind generated from the attacks flattens his spiky hair. The wolf lets out another howl, this time one of pain, and backs away, eventually dashing into the forest with the stolen El.

Snapping out of his daze, the boy shouts, "Hey, come back with that!" Of course, the beast doesn't look back, and soon, the green glow of the El blends in with the forest.

"I'd say that's a job well done," a voice haughtily praises. Twirling her staff with professional skill, a purple-haired mage dressed in some sort of school uniform struts over to the fallen boy.

"I could have gotten that!" he whines. The girl has the guts to smirk, ignoring the courteous tradition of extending a hand to help him up.

"Really? From where I was standing, you were about to get shredded to pieces."

"Excuse me?! I don't need help from a flat-chest like you!"

At his retort, the girl flushes bright red, and the grip on her staff tightens slowly. The knight can see the steam burst out of her ears.

"What...did you just call me, huh?!" The mage lets out a wild shriek and drops her weapon on the boy's head.

"Now you've done it!"

"Apologize, you jerk!"

The air then changes. Shivers run across both of their backs as the heat of a thousand suns threatens to burn their heads. Both turn slowly to the source, finding the most terrifying creature they have ever met.

"Enough!" commands the elf, her authoritative voice echoes into the trees. Wildlife, both predator and prey, slowly back away from the group, eager to keep their lives.

"But Rena, he…"

"Rena, wait up! You know I'm a slow runner!"

The archer turns to the timid voice behind her and immediately tosses out her demon-like complexion. "Sorry Rain. We just couldn't let this guy get killed by that beast." Another girl, dressed with a simple flowing white dress adorned with a woven blue belt, approaches the group steadily, panting as soon as she is within hearing range. Her purple eyes gaze upon the fallen boy, and he catches them widen a fraction before softening up.

"Are you alright?" Rain asks. She kneels down to his level and places her hands in front of herself. "Hold still. This will only take a second," she instructs.

A nearly invisible blue circle draws itself underneath her. Small water particles orbit around the warrior, draining away his exhaustion and light wounds. As she heals him, the knight hears remnants of an unfamiliar song in an unfamiliar language. Her soft voice dances with the levitating water drops, the spectacle leaving the boy speechless.

When Rain completes her job with a satisfied huff, she helps the boy up to his feet.

"Rain, was it?" The cleric nods, still having the strange twinkle in her eyes. "Well, thank you. I'm-"

"Elsword Sieghart. Younger brother of Elesis Sieghart, leader of the Red Knights," came her immediate response.

The archer and the mage stares incredulously at the healer. Did she know him from before? Who is Elesis? Their eyes fall onto the knight, but he is also awestruck at her introduction.

"How do you know my name?" he warily questions. Rain blinks, seemingly in a trance, before stuttering out her excuse.

"O-oh! I don't know what came over me. This is the first time I have met you, I swear." Rain shifts uncomfortably at the attention. Never one for awkward silences, Rena pats Rain's shoulder.

"Maybe he's famous from where you're from," she lightly teases. The healer's face flushes indignantly, and starts to vehemently claim that this is their first meeting. The mage, smirk still plastered on her face, walks closer to the knight.

"Well, I'm Aisha, a world class mage from the south."

"Never heard of you," he quickly adds.

"Why you…!"

"Shove it, both of you. While you're busy insulting each other, the bandits got away with the El!" Separating the two with a hearty shove, the elf sighs in frustration.

Rain, who was momentarily forgotten, tugs on Rena's short sleeve. "Let's head back to Ruben. We have to tell Hagus about what happened!" She runs off, prompting the other adventurers to follow behind.

"Over here!" Rena shouts. Elsword spots Lowe staring off in the distance and quickly approaches the captain. "Lowe! Did Banthus just pass by?" Bewildered by his urgent tone, Lowe sluggishly answers his question. "Hmm...I was just watching Banthus, who looked very suspicious, but I lost him. Did something happen?"

Annoyed at his lazy response, Elsword grabs Lowe by the shoulders and shakes him vigorously. "We have no time for this! He ran off with the El Shard! We need to track him down quickly!"

"W-what?! This is huge...we have to get everyone in Ruben to search for him. Let's hurry!" With that, he runs off to spread the news. When he is out of earshot, Aisha says, "If it weren't for you, I would have caught him already."

"What did you say? I dare you to repeat that."

"I'll say it a million times! It's because-"

"Hey, don't make me stop you two again!" intervenes an annoyed Rena.

As they continue to bicker, Rain lets out a hearty laugh. _"Why does this feel so familiar? It almost feels like home,"_ she thinks, a sudden nostalgic feeling in her heart.

" _Who are these people? Why do I feel like this?"_

…

"Banthus is known to cause trouble, but I didn't think he'd go this far."

Rain, placing a finger on her tilting head, says, "Maybe the attention he's getting isn't enough for him." Her three comrades all sprout a comedic sweat drop.

"No, more like he's too well known and wants to flaunt it around," corrects Aisha.

"Either way," Lowe continues, "There are sightings of unknown bandits near Noah's lake. They might be Banthus's thieves. If we find them, we might learn something new."

...

"So, Rain. How did you meet Rena?" Aisha inquires. "I mean, I know I met the both of you while running into the forest, but you two were together when we met."

Rena begins to sweat. In truth, even she doesn't know how Rain entered her life. She just did.

Luckily, Rain is prepared. "The elven elder that watches over Rena's kind explained to me that I was given to him by a mysterious stranger. He told me how I was an orphan, found in his arms one day. The elder noticed how I have a natural affinity for healing, and he trained me personally until I was assigned to assist Rena in retrieving the El. Unfortunately, Rena wasn't there at the agreed location, so I had to search for her. That's when I met her and then you, Aisha."

She then eyes the strange package strapped to Rain's back. "So what are you carrying?" Rain tentatively reaches for her back, flinching away when her fingers lightly brushes against the cloth covering the parcel.

"I do not know. The elder told me to bring it with me and return it to someone. He didn't say who though."

"Maybe if we show it around town, then the owner will show up!"

"Yes, let's try that after we get...Hey, where did Elsword go?"

Elsword has already run off to slash a bandit, and the three girls stares at him with blank faces as the knight beat the unsuspecting bandit's face in. He comes back holding some sort of paper, and Aisha nonchalantly takes it out of his hands, casually walking towards Ruben Village.

"Hey, I got that myself! Give it back!"

"No way! If it's something important, I wouldn't trust you with it!"

"Like it's any safer in your hands!"

Rena is ready to explode again, urging Rain to stop being a passive watcher. "Rena, they fight like an old couple, don't you think?" Rain lightly suggests. Apparently, the bickering adventurers have impressive ears, for they both turn to yell at her.

"Like I'll be with her!"

"Like I'll be with him!"

"See, Rena, they even started talking in unison!"

…

"Lowe, we found this. It appears to be instructions to Banthus," Rain politely reports. The two most turbulent members of the group are surprisingly quiet, avoiding eye contact with each other.

"This means they've been planning to steal the El Shard for a while now. Let's meet with Hagus." Lowe gestures them to the bearded man. "Hagus, Hagus! It's an emergency!" Elsword exclaims. The older man huffs at his behavior and proceeds to scold him for his lack of respect for his elders.

"That's not important! Banthus ran off with the El Shard!"

Like Lowe, Hagus's attention shifts instantly, and he mutters a few incoherent phrases. "The El Shard is a symbol of the forest. We must get it back." Recalling a weird detail of the bandit leader, Rain unexpectedly speaks up.

"Hey, if I remember correctly, he had some sort of amulet on his neck."

"An amulet?" Hagus repeats. "I've heard rumors about Banthus having an amulet that control the Holy Beast…"

While interested in the device, Elsword shoves their musings away with his impatience. "We have no time for this! We have to track Banthus now!"

"I'll alert the townspeople to watch the entrance of the forest. Elsword, go to the El Tree and search for the bandits. Take care of the three ladies for me."

"You can leave it to me," Rena answers.

…

"Hey, now that I think about it, can Rain even fight?" Elsword blurts out as the group wanders in the forest that leads to the Tree of El. A swift smack from Aisha's staff soon follows after, sending Elsword to the ground.

"How rude! Rain is invaluable to us as a healer! Don't we have enough heavy hitters?"

"Maybe from Rena, but damage from you? Please, don't make me laugh!"

"Excuse me! We'll see who's talking after you taste my lightning bolt!"

Rain sighs, and Rena clasps her right hand. "It's okay if you can't attack. You just focus on keeping us alive, and we'll do the rest!"

The healer shakes her head. "I appreciate it, but I can handle myself." She looks up to see a mage firing a ghastly skull at the bickering duo, who are oblivious to the incoming attack.

"Elsword, Aisha!"

Wasting no time, her hand spontaneously creates two daggers. She throws them with graceful flicks of her wrist, and one of the daggers hits the projectile, while the other strikes the mage's body, killing it instantly.

"Phantom Shift!"

The two stop fighting when they hear Rain shout her move's name. They spy the corpse impaled by the dagger, and only one thought comes to their mind.

" _Never piss off Rena or Rain...ever!"_

…

"So your daggers…" Elsword starts.

"They are created by condensing water and mana together. Depending on the ratio of water and mana I use in creating them, different effects happen."

"So you can freely manipulate water?" Rena asks.

"Apparently...I can also create water using my own mana, but don't rely on it if we end up in a desert. It's very taxing on my body."

"Good to note," states Aisha. A loud bellow, almost like a pirate's laugh, echoes across the forest, and the El gang encounters Banthus at the base of the El Tree.

"Banthus! It's about time I bring back the El shard! Take this!"

"Rain, stay back!"

"O-okay!"

At Elsword's cry, the three adventurers charge, launching fireballs, arrows, and sword swings onto the bandit. Banthus ignores most of the fireballs, and the arrows bounces off his body as if he was wearing the toughest armor. Only Elsword seem to be pushing him back, but Banthus's focus is on someone else.

"Heh. Well, well...little girl. I knew you would show up eventually."

Rain flinches, the daggers in her hand letting out beads of water. "W-what do you want with me?"

"I want that thing behind your back, of course! The boss said it's something that'll give him infinite power. Now, give it to me, or suffer the consequences!"

Shoving aside the knight and knocking the mage onto the ground, Banthus sprints to Rain, who is frozen on the spot. With incredible speed, he brings his blade down onto the healer.

"Rain!" Her friends cry out.

The sound of weapons clashing catches Banthus off guard. He looks down to see his attack blocked by a small dagger. The healer's head is down, and her bangs hide her eyes in the shadows.

"Banthus…" Rain finally says. He staggers away from her, frightened over her personality change. "I see now...so this is the cowardly Banthus that Elsword told me about…" The familiarity hidden in the way she speaks Elsword's name shocks her comrades.

"Rain...what are you…" Rena trails off when she sees Rain's face.

She has the same features, but they are more battle-hardened, more tired.

"Damn it! Who are you?!" Banthus weakly spits out.

"My name is Rain, and I will not forgive you for trying to end my life." Multiple daggers spawn behind the healer, and the thief shakily backs away, still clutching the El Shard close to his body.

"N-no! My life can't end here! Phoru!"

A great white beast descends into front of the heroes, prompting Rain to grit her teeth. The daggers spawned behind her are still there, waiting to shear the flesh of the beast. The Phoru rushes towards the dagger-wielder with bulky steps, and Rain plants her feet into the ground.

"Steel Symphony!"

All Elsword can see is the wave of daggers piercing the giant Phoru. It roars as each dagger strikes a limb, a body part. While her attack deals visible damage, the Phoru is not down, and she retreats a few steps, readying another dagger.

"Don't just stand there, Elboy! Attack!" Aisha shouts, the force of her voice hitting Elsword as if she had slapped him.

"Don't call me that!" He retorts back, but his drive to argue with her is greatly diminished by the looming danger of Banthus's accomplice.

"No need, Aisha. I got this," corrects Rain.

She fires another steel symphony, inflicting enough damage to fell the beast with a satisfying thud. Twirling the spare dagger in her hand, the healer glances at the fallen corpse with distaste. A wave of dizziness catches her off guard, crawling up her body languidly. Her vision blurs.

"I didn't think I'd be this weak…" her voice fades to oblivion as her face kisses the dirt floor of the forest.

...

 _The world is burning._

 _The once beautiful green field is now scorched with the scars of war, anger, and despair. A boy, with desolate eyes the color of tainted sapphire, watches as the horizon summon a wave of demons. He glances at the masked man, neither blinking nor flinching when his golden eye settles onto his form._

" _So, it's over, right?"_

" _Yes, it is."_

 _The boy stands. His sword, what was once a proud gold is now a dull pyrite, rests loosely in his bandaged hand. Still not turning away from the army of demons, the boy asks, "So, what are you going to do now?"_

" _I should be asking you that question," the masked man shoots back._

 _The swordsman stays quiet. "If only you had another chance. If only there was some way to prevent that event which led to the world's end," the masked man taunts. The grip on his sword tightens, but he makes no other movements._

" _What are you suggesting?"_

" _I know of a way: a way to rectify your mistakes. But it's up to you whether or not you want to take that chance."_

" _Tell me."_

 _The masked man is probably smirking under his disguise. "I can recreate the world to its former self, back to when this all started. You'll be able to reunite with everyone and avoid making the same regrets you did here."_

 _The survivor's eyes do not brighten._

" _The cost?"_

" _Your memories. I need them as the template to create that world. In doing so, you may be able to save everyone, but this life will be forgotten forever. You must preserve your new world without the aid of foresight."_

" _So, in essence, you're going to create a dream?"_

" _You may call it that, but it's better than the reality you're facing now. You will die regardless whether or not you give up your memories. Isn't this better?"_

 _Hesitation._

" _Why are you helping me?"_

" _Are my actions confusing you? I merely wish to live through a world that has triumphed over the greatest threat of all."_

" _I don't believe that for a second. However, I'll do it."_

" _Very well. Hand me your sword. I promise that it will be returned to you."_

 _Slowly, he places the blade into the stranger's hands. A pillar of light erupts from under the boy's feet, and the demons halts their march, howling and screeching at the object that's illuminating the darkness. The swordsman can feel his memories leave him, and instinctively, he clutches his head in an attempt to grab them back._

" _Do not fight it, Rui. Soon, you'll be reunited with the one you love, the one whom you failed. I highly suggest not messing up a second time."_

 _His quiet sobs escalate into a soul-shattering wail when a memory of his beloved's beautiful smile and soft voice slowly washes away from his sight. More and more treasured moments ripple away, and for the first time since her death, he could not control the stream of tears falling from his eyes._

" _All I want...is to see her again."_

 _The world shatters as the pillar disperses. The crackle of fire intensifies and burns away the last remnants of that forsaken world._

 _"And now...let Elrios be awakened once more!" bellows Glave, as his booming voice engulfs the universe._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Sword of Gold**

 _ **Quick A.N.: Due to the release of Ain and his original place in the story, he will not appear until the next town over. As this is written before his release, I am unable to work him into this beginning arc. Thank you, and enjoy.**_

"Elsword! Stop eating only the things you like! No wonder you're so short! Just look at Rena!" Aisha scolds, taking a bite out of her salad. She sneaks a peek at the elf, noting her rather endowed figure. Flushing bright red, she turns back to her food and continues her ramblings.

"S-shut up! I can get taller with just meat!" retorts Elsword.

"A-at least save some for Rain! She needs energy too!"

Rena groans at their bickering. _"It's like they can't stop!"_ She tries to focus on something else, and her mind wanders to their unconscious healer.

" _What happened? First, her personality switches, and then she instantly loses consciousness...Does she have some sort of curse? A disease, maybe…?"_

So lost in her thought, the archer does not hear the door slide open, nor does she hear the slight thud of someone sitting down next to her.

"Rena, what are you thinking about?" questions the soft voice of Rain.

"Rain! Are you feeling better? Here, have some food!" Rain gratefully thanks her, accepting the bowl hastily. "I feel great! You guys did a great job!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah...Rena, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Do you remember what happened earlier?"

"You mean with Banthus? Of course I do. Just as he swings the sword down, Elsword blocks it and takes him out in one shot!"

Elsword and Aisha both stares at Rain incredulously. "Rain, I wasn't the one to finish him off," whispers Elsword.

"You did. Quite brutally, if you ask me."

Rain freezes. The precise click of her fork tapping her bowl echoes in the room, and her head is once again down.

"I'm pretty sure Elsword was the one that defeated him. I remember him bringing his sword down and shouting 'flame geyser'!"

"Flame geyser? What's that?" Elsword shoves another piece of meat into his mouth. Rain thinks he's playing a prank on her, but the baffled look on Aisha and Rena halts her protest.

"Rain, are you messing up what happened with a dream you had?" asked Rena, her voice heavy with worry.

"I-I don't know. It was so vivid though…"

The group continues to eat, but Rain frowns at her chunk of meat. She pokes it with her fork twice, sighing after she fails to stab into the cooked flesh. Her hand automatically reaches behind her, and when she taps the package strapped to her back, electricity pricks her fingers, forcing her to withdraw.

"You know, if we're going to return that, we might as well know what it is," Aisha casually gestures. Rain fidgets nervously.

"I feel like we shouldn't. I mean it's not my business to look," she tries to retort.

"But we don't have a clue of who it belongs to. We're not psychics or anything," replies the mage.

The healer hesitates. Her hand slowly reaches to her back, and the surge of electricity that assaults her makes her flinch yet again. Grimacing at the slight pain, she places the package onto the table. With each second that she spends unwrapping, the pain in her body increases. When the mysterious object is finally unveiled, tears are pouring down her face. Her three companions quickly take the package away from her, and Rena rubs Rain's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

A sword of pure gold lies in the astonished eyes of the adventurers. The hilt is well-worn, however, the color dull and lifeless. The blade, on the other hand, flashes a dim light that arches across the room. Many intricate swirls and carvings run along the edge of the blade, mending into the wing-shaped guard on the hilt. Elsword's eyes sparkles brightly as he stares at the sword.

"This is so cool! I wonder where the elven elder found it because I want one!"

He moves to grip the sword, but a small dagger swipes at his hand, and he retracts his hand quickly.

"Don't touch it. It's not yours, Elsword," warns Rain, her voice dark and murderous. While Elsword flinches at her tone, Rena trails her eyes on the foreign object.

"This sword looks specifically crafted for one person. That's good because now we can just take it to the blacksmiths around this area and see who requested this."

Rain still has the dagger poised over the sword. "This blade...feels familiar...as if I've seen it many times before…" Her companions glance at each other, unable to respond to her soft mumbles.

"Is there anyone in your past that you think might have owned this?"

"No, I don't remember much of my childhood. My memories only start when I met the elven elder."

"Well, at least we have a plan of action! Before we head out tomorrow, let's visit the blacksmith. Rain, be sure to keep that away from Elsword. We can't have him break the sword," remarks Aisha.

"What? I won't break it! I know how to take care of my weapons!"

Rena and Aisha both recall back to Elsword's training earlier that day, where in a forgotten corner, a pile of swords lay broken and pitiful. His strength is impressive but...

"I'll take your word, Aisha," Rain replies.

A knock interrupts their meal. Rain gracefully rises from her seat and opens the door, finding Hagus with an exhausted glint in his eyes.

"There you guys are. The townsfolk found some bandits in the forest while they were searching for Banthus. They are causing trouble in the fairy grounds that existed before the El's explosion. Can you go stop them before they cause more trouble?"

Rena and Rain instantly stands up.

"Ruins, huh…?" the archer muses. "I wonder what evil scheme they have. Rain, let's ask the blacksmith about the sword after we take care of this." The healer nods and goes to wrap the blade back into the worn fabric when Hagus gasps in awe.

"What a beautiful sword, miss. Mind telling me who crafted it?"

"Actually, I don't know. I was hoping someone in this village made it, so that we can trace the owner."

"Miss, I've seen lots of weapons in my day, but none quite like that. You won't have much luck here."

Rain deflates and looks back at the sword. So many questions run through her head. Why did the elder have such a weapon? Who is the owner? Why was it separated from him or her? She shakes her head and quickly rewraps the blade, ignoring the dabs of pain she feels every time she brushed her fingers against the metal.

"Thank you for your valuable information, Hagus. We'll be going now," Rain addresses the chief. The three girls sprint out the room, leaving Elsword behind.

"B-but I didn't finish my dinner yet!" he exclaims, inhaling one more chunk of meat before reaching for his sword.

…

A boy pants as he chases the group of bandits through the forest. His purple bangs repeatedly hit his eyes as he runs. Some of his hair come in direct contact with a branch, and the impact causes him to stumble. His lungs burn, and his speed is decreasing, but he can't stop. Not when they have stolen that thing.

"S-stop! I've done nothing to offend or harm you! Give me back that card!" wheezes out the desperate boy. The bandits laugh and sneers at the poor human, waving the stolen possession with glee.

"G-give it back-!"

His plea is abruptly shut down by a harsh blow to his head. As he falls to the dirt floor, his clothes get caught in the fallen branches. He barely registers the sound of his shirt and pants tearing before he feels even more pain rippling through his body. The battered boy passes out as his attackers' cruel glint in their eyes illuminates the foreboding forest.

…

"The ruins are over this way, but we haven't run into any bandits," Rena muses, pointing to a hooded clearing. She turns around to see Rain hunched over and sweating, as if she's fighting an intense fever.

"What's wrong, Rain?!"

"This sword...just got heavier...and the cloth isn't doing anything to stop me from feeling the pain anymore. I think...it's calling for someone…"

Up ahead, Elsword's loud voice echoes across the clearing. "Guys! There's someone injured here! Aisha and I have already beat up the guys that's bullying him!"

The two older members of the party looks at each other. "Let's go. Do you need help with that?" asks the archer, who extends a hand out to the healer. Rain, however, shakes her head and wipes the sweat off her forehead.

"I'm fine. There's someone else we need to worry about."

…

" _Music…? What song is this? I feel like I've heard it before…_ "

The boy slowly opens his eyes, instantly shutting them when he feels the fire in his muscles pass through his skin. He attempts to open his eyes again, and the image of a beautiful, almost ethereal, blue-haired girl invades his mind. She's kneeling on his right, a warm, azure glow surrounding her body as she sings.

"I see you're awake. You were really getting mauled there. Thank goodness we came when we did," addresses a purple-haired girl next to the goddess. A redhead across from her gloats about his skills, something about only needing to tap them with his sword before they ran away in terror. The girl he is talking to forms a fist and whacks him on the head, scolding him for his lack of humility. Then a blond elf (that's an elf, he reassures himself after seeing her pointed ears) replaces the towel on his head and gives him a motherly smile.

"We're almost done healing your wounds. Rain should be finishing up soon," says the elf.

Rain...so that's her name? What a wonderful name…

He hums her tune, even going so far as to harmonize with her. The healer, upon hearing his deep voice, stops singing and leans forward in shock.

"H-how do you know my song?"

"I just do? Even I'm not too sure."

"Can you understand what I'm singing?"

"Yes...you were singing about the stars."

The three original El Search party members all stare at each other. Just who is this guy? The two seems lost in their own world, glancing into each other's eyes, almost like lovers would. Aisha coughs at the thought, blushing to the tips of her ears, and shakily asks, "Umm...lovebirds? Should we figure out who our stranger is first?"

They hastily look away. Rain helps the boy sit up and changes the bandages around his chest. He rubs his head and thanks her.

"Your name is Rain, right?" he tries his voice.

"Yes. This is Elsword," she points to the redhead, who gives him a cheeky smile. "And this is Rena and Aisha." The elf and mage also give him a smile, probably to calm his nerves.

"Thank you all. My name is Rui."

All of the sudden, Rain is assaulted with an onslaught of emotions. Happiness, sadness, hope, but most of all…

Regret.

"R-Rui…?"

"Yes. Wait, why are you crying?"

The healer grasps her arms in an attempt to keep her composure. She doesn't understand why her emotions suddenly starts to rampage inside of her. Did she know him from before? If so, when? Why does she feel like she is supposed to have a close connection to him?

And then she loses control of her body again.

"Rui...you look so different from what I remembered...but it's really you. You're alive! It's me, Ra-!"

"No! I've never seen you before!"

The rest of the party watches as their healer goes through two different personalities, terrifying Rui and causing him to back away.

"W-wait, don't-!"

"I-I don't know him! Stop! What's happening to me?!"

Rena starts to panic. "Rain, calm down!" But her friend refuses to listen, clutching her head and tossing it back and forth, struggling to regain control. Rui looks at her with pity and tentatively places his hands on her shoulders.

"Everything will be alright. Please, calm down, Rain."

It seems to work because Rain stops shaking and looks up with teary eyes.

"I don't know you," she hesitantly says.

"I don't know you either," he affirms.

His answer satisfies her, for she once again brings out the serene smile he cannot get enough of.

" _Even if I don't know her, it would be nice to, right? Maybe I can ask them…"_

Aisha frowns after Rain's panic attack subsides. "Are you sure you're okay, Rain? First, it's Elsword, now him? A complete stranger?"

"Now, now, Aisha. I'm pretty sure there's an explanation for this, but for now, we have to focus on our objective. We're here to track the bandits right?"

"Seeing as there was a bunch of them picking on him, I'd say there's more up ahead, right Rena?" impatiently questions Elsword.

"Yes, but first, we have to figure what to do with Rui. We can't leave him here."

"I can walk back to the village with him," offers Rain.

"As much as I would like that, we need you here too, in case something goes wrong."

Elsword grumbles at their discussion. "He'll be a burden though. He doesn't know how to fight, and he has no weapon."

At this, Rui clenches his fist. "I was outnumbered five to one, and my only knife broke on me. Tell me if you can handle something like that without your sword."

"Tch...why you…!"

Aisha whacks him with her staff. "Stop being so rude. But, he's right on one part. How are we going to defend you? There's enough on our plate to handle."

"Even if I get in the way, I have to go with you. They've stole something very valuable to me. Please, help me," Rui pleads.

A collective hum falls out of the adventurers' throats. Rain, suddenly remembering her package, opens it as quickly as she can through the prickles of pain and lays the sword in front of the stranger.

"Use this for now."

"Rain, I thought we agreed we're not going to use it! What if he carelessly damages it?!" exclaims Aisha, reaching out to wrap the sword. Rain places her hand over the blade, stopping Aisha from touching it.

"The sword is calling him. Look carefully. Do you see its glow?"

And indeed, the blade is emitting a thin purple aura. Elsword and the others stares in awe, hesitant on whether the glow is a good sign or a bad omen. Rain once again urges Rui to take the weapon. The stranger grasps the blade tentatively, and the aura spreads to his body, bringing a warmth he suddenly craves.

" _This feeling...why is this so familiar?"_

The glow from his body and the sword vanishes as Rui stands confidently, glancing at the clearing that leads to the thieves.

"Are you okay, Rui?"

"Yes, this blade…" He grips it tight, the weight already familiar and comforting to him. "I feel safer with this."

Elsword grins at his fellow swordsman, swinging his own blade behind his head.

"Let's go. We have some bandits to stop."

As they walk away, a bright blue glow simmers behind them. A small, calm grin adorns the man's face as he observes their banter. His grin turns serenely sorrowful, as if remembering a bad dream.

" _By the goddess's light, I will not fail...to do my duty as her emissary. This time...I know what I must do."_

…

William Phoru gloats at his pile of treasures, taking a silver cup and moving it so that the light reflects back its flawless sheen. "Ahh, what a wonderful day. Banthus sure knows how to sweet talk someone."

The crunch of fallen tree branches alerts the creature to the adventurer's presence. His lackeys sneer at the boy they had just beaten, but then quickly drop it when they see his sword.

"Boss...that sword…"

"The herald...it's just as Banthus said."

They back away, but their leader, foolish as he is, steps forward and disregards their warning. "What a nice sword you have there. If I get that, I'll have even more riches to hoard for myself." Rui readies himself into a pose that confuses Elsword while the rest of the Elgang prepares their weapons.

" _What kind of stance is that? I've never seen a style like that before..."_

The beast runs towards the group arrogantly and is immediately assaulted with fireballs, arrows, and daggers. His lackeys still hesitate to attack them, especially after seeing the gold blade in Rui's hand start to inflict damage onto their leader.

"Hey, Rain! Is this the skill you're talking about?" Elsword shouts amidst the mayhem. He swings his sword down onto the beast, and a pillar of fire bursts out from its feet, effectively blowing him into the air. The healer gasps at his move and nods eagerly.

"Yeah, that's it! It looks exactly as I've seen it in my memory."

"Hey, you two! Stop showing off and focus! He's above you, Rain!" Rena yells, aiming another band of arrows to hit the airborne monster.

"On it, Rena! Awaken!" The burst of white energy erupts from the healer's body, but as soon as she registers the warmth and power of her awakening, she feels her consciousness slip away.

" _Thank you for calling upon me. Let me take care of this," softly whispers someone. Rain gasps at the person's voice, or rather at the familiarity of its voice: her voice._

" _Are you…?" she starts to ask. She can feel the voice dissuade her as her vision blurs._

" _It's not time for you to know yet. Now rest and let me take over."_

Outside of her mind, William Phoru feels a shiver across his body as Rain awakens. Her stance changes from defensive to offensive, and her battle-hardened eyes, cold and unwavering, pierces her opponent. He continues his plunge, however, and his sword meets her daggers.

"Y-you're-!"

"Something wrong, William Phoru? Or are you fearing for your life?"

"H-haha! I'm not afraid of you."

"We'll see about that."

Clutching three daggers in her hand, Rain opens her mouth and lets out a haunting, high-pitched shriek. Her friends' heads pound painfully against their skulls as their ears register the sound. "R-Rain! What are you doing?!" Aisha whines, clutching her ears in a futile attempt to decrease its effects. The aura around Rain's weapons turn from sea-blue to crimson-red, leaking out blood instead of water. She jumps up and fires the infected daggers at William Phoru, and he releases a terrified wail as his wounds bleed out his internal fluids.

"W-who are you?! Monster!" the creature accuses, desperately trying to find an escape route.

"You're wrong. I know what a true monster is, and trust me, I'm far from one."

He scampers away pathetically. His lackeys also follow, but one trips, causing his sack to open. A card falls out, but the bandit doesn't see it, hastily adjusting his gear before dashing away for his life. With a bitter shake of her head, Rain closes her eyes and lets the power dissipate. Her eyes gain back their innocence, and the healer scans the field once in confusion.

"T-the fight's over?"

"Yeah Rain. You nearly blew our ears out," Elsword whines as he pats his ears. "Oh geez, my ears are still ringing." The other adventurers also clutch their heads, but Rui, especially, sinks down to the floor, his sword forgotten by his side. He grits his teeth as his head pounds against his skull.

" _I'm sure that was the first time I've ever heard that, but I feel like I've heard that screech many, many times before…"_

"Rui, are you okay?!" Rain calls out, falling to her knees and grasping his shoulder. Rui struggles to stand up, but eventually does so with the help of his sword. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy though. You have quite the dangerous voice, Rain."

She stares, bewildered. "My voice, dangerous? No...I swear my voice is only capable of healing people."

"Your voice is power, Rain," Rena starts, "The power you possess, however good they may be, can also be used for evil. While I understand that you weren't in control," she hesitates on her words, unable to explain the shift in Rain's personality, "what happened just proves that it can be twisted."

Feeling like she's been called out, Rain avoids the gaze of the wise elf and spots the lone card next to her feet. "Rui, is this yours?" she questions, taking a good look at the image on the card. A dark, foreboding dragon is carefully etched onto the thick paper. Its wings are thin and sharp, held together by dark orbs. Its chin is abnormally long, but the dragon holds it up proudly, as if it's defying something…

"Yes, that's mine. I'm grateful to you all for helping me get it back."

"Why is that so important? I mean, the picture's cool and all…" Elsword mumbles, glancing at the dragon in subdued awe.

"It's my only memento of my father. He always had it with him before he gave it to me…" The small smile on Rui's face holds a tinge of longing, and Elsword pats his back and offers him comfort. Rui takes the card from Rain's hand and immediately averts his eyes as it starts to glow. His sword also flashes its dark aura, and a slight breeze flings the card from his hand to the blade, slowly absorbing his treasured card.

"H-hey! What is this thing doing?!" Rui cries out, already too late in stopping the process. Rain places her hand on his shoulder and shakes her head. "Rui, don't worry. Your card will be fine, or did you forget?"

"What?!" he exclaims, turning to her with a panicked frown on his face.

The dark glow fades away, leaving behind his golden sword, but this time, it hums with an aura the same color as his dragon. Rui can feel power flowing through his body, tingling his fingertips.

"What is this feeling? What just happened? My card! How do I-?!" Paralyzed in fear, he stands stupefied, frowning at his weapon. Rain walks up to him with a baffled expression, as if she's surprised at his reaction.

"Rui, you've done this so many times before. Did you forget how to use your own weapon?"

The three original party members can only get even more confused. "Rain, what are you talking about? I thought you said that you've never seen this before," Rena questions, refusing to come closer to her new comrades. "I...I do," Rain spits out. "I've seen it so many times, this blade. I don't understand what's going on. Why doesn't Rui remember how to wield his sword? Why are we so weak? What are we doing in Ruben? I thought we were-!" The healer suddenly stops and grasps her head. Her voice becomes distorted, switching between alluring and lustrous to innocent and fragile.

"W-what am I saying?! I never-!"

"Rui, focus on sensing the dragon's pulse. It'll respond to you."

"I can't stop my mouth! I don't-!"

"Rui, please listen to me!"

At the same time, Rain's two voices shout, "What's happening to me?!" With a sway of her body, she collapses again. No one moves to the fallen girl for a few silent moments, the group awkwardly standing in the middle of the ruins.

Eventually, Rui picks her up and heads to the exit of the ruins. He turns his head back to the adventurers, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Let's go. We can settle this later. There's someone who needs our help."

…

Rain grimaces at the hard bedding. Her head throbs, as if someone is beating against it. She wakes to an empty room, but a few short moments later, she heard a knock on her door.

"I'm coming in," addresses Rena. She easily slides the door open and releases a warm smile, placing the tray she's holding onto the table next to the healer's bed.

"How are you feeling?" asks the archer.

"Not good. My head can't stop pounding…" Rain answers, rubbing her temple in a vain attempt to dull the pain. "My vision feels distorted, and my memories are all jumbled up…" Rena sits next to her, unable to say anything.

"Rui did as you said. He's confused as to why you know how to use that sword, but he's happy that he can extract his card back."

"That wasn't me…" Rain murmurs in a daze.

"Rain, is there something you're hiding from us?"

The healer glares at Rena then. "How dare you!" she shouts, and Rena flinches backwards at her tone, a mixture of harsh and soft. "I have nothing against this group!" Rain again struggles to return her voice to normal.

"W-who are you?" Fragile.

"Who are you?" Alluring.

The door slams open again, and the rest of their group, including Rui, rushes over to the healer. It didn't take long for the room to become loud with banter, especially when Elsword made an off-hand comment about how Rain's cursed, which prompts everyone else to scold him harshly.

Lowe then rushes in, gasping for air as he hunches over. "We left as soon as we heard that Banthus was headed for Elder. The fastest way was through White Mist Swamp, but we were suddenly attacked by a phoru and we lost him."

Elsword smirks at him. "Tsk, couldn't catch him after all."

Aisha follows suit. "Yeah."

The mocked man grips his fists and exclaims, "Shut up! We tried our best!" Rain immediately rises to her feet and bows in front of Lowe. "I apologize on their behalf, sir." Flustered, Lowe rubs his head, unable to make sense of her gesture.

"A-anyways, we ran into the Ancient Phoru, who started to rampage on us. We couldn't do much to it since it's a holy beast."

"The legend is that the Ancient Phoru, who resides in White Mist Swamp, is actually created by the El Shard to protect it," explains Hagus. "So for our current situation, it looks to me that it's going rogue because the El Shard is missing," Rena deduces, deep in thought.

Hagus answers, "Yes, but either way, Holy Beast or no, we have to put him down if he keeps getting in the way!" At that moment, a girl enters the room, swinging around a duster like a treasured weapon.

"You can't! It's not his fault that he's rampaging like this!" Ann scolds the older man.

Lowe groans inwardly. "Can you deal with this without killing it?" he asks. The adventurers nod in unison and quickly heads out of the building.

…

"You should have seen Rui! He struck Elsword down so easily, even though it's the first time he ever fought with that sword!" Aisha exclaims as her eyes sparkle with mischief. She sends a snarky smirk his way, and Elsword's blood quickly boils.

"I was caught off guard! How was I supposed to know that he can shoot lightning?!"

This time, Rui steps in. "I didn't know I could, either! It just happened!" Inwardly, he thinks about the odd familiarity in not only his own technique, but also Elsword's.

" _Have we fought before? I would remember someone so...unique."_

The spark in their eyes quickly ignites, and the two starts a staring contest, both of them unwilling to back down. Rain observes them in confusion, mumbling if the two ever had this kind of rivalry.

"Wait, what about Rui's guardians? Does he live with anyone?" the healer suddenly exclaims in worry.

Their newest member denies her questions, saying how he lives alone and hunts to make a living. "I will miss my peaceful life...but something about you all is drawing me in, and I must find out what this feeling is. So I hope you have room for me."

A loud roar shakes the forest, causing the adventurers to turn to the sound. They instantly break into a dash, and Elsword shouts over the wind blowing into their ears.

"Hey, Rui! You've got to show Rain what you can do!"

Rain lets out a bewildered frown, and Rui throws her a bewitching grin. "No worries, I think I understand how to use this now."

She, and in the inner soul inside of her, both returns his smile with one of confidence.

…

The Monkey King did not stand a chance.

The usual barrage of arrows, daggers, and fireballs wore the beast down significantly, and Elsword spent the majority of the fight provoking his opponent. The main star was Rui, however. Able to bind his foe in a small spherical cage, he allowed his fellow adventurers to defeat it with ease.

But now...they grit their teeth as they catch Banthus fleeing in the distance as the Ancient Phoru blocks their way. The white creature mightily roars, pushing the frail group backwards with the force of its breath. Rui inserts his card into his sword and lets his weapon absorb the power. He awakens, switching his posture to a more guarded position, with his arm positioned to guard. The blade glows purple, and the paper blader flicks his weapon to the enemy.

"Regal Whirlwind!"

A tornado of lightning, a fury of infinite electricity-imbued paper charms, crackles towards the mythical beast. When it lands, the attack dissipates, but the raging monster lets out a fierce roar and falls to its knees. As it attempts to stand, Rui stares down with a fierce glare.

The sound of even more violent lightning is emitted, and the golden blade elongates into a dragon's fang. Rui crouches, ready to lunge.

"Lightning...Disobey!"

He flies forward blindingly, plunging the sword into the chest of the Ancient Phoru. His comrades hear the sound of a dragon's roar as he withdraws from the beast. It collapses with a heavy thud, and the rest of the adventurers all cry out in distress.

"You weren't supposed to kill it!" Aisha screeches.

"Rain, save it!" interjects Rena.

Rui, gritting his teeth, slams the sword into the ground as Elsword pats his shoulder. Rain sings another unfamiliar song, and a thin blue layer coats the fallen creature.

"It's still alive, thank goodness," Rain sighs out in relief. She turns to the newest member of their group, who still has his head down. She stands in front of him and softly whispers, "It's alright now. You don't have to look so down anymore."

Rui stares back at her and realizes that the girl in front of him has switched personalities again.

"Are you Rain...or the other girl?"

She places a finger on his lips, silencing him. "I am Rain. Don't worry, Rui. I'll solve what happened to us," she firmly promises.

Turning back to the fallen phoru, the group witnesses it let out a small growl. As it does, Lowe, Ann, and Hagus appear through the opening of the forest.

Upon looking at the fallen beast, Lowe lets out a satisfied huff. "There's no way around it. This is good enough," he affirms.

Ann nods and gives her approval, "Thank you, everyone, for settling this issue. I hope you get the El Shard back soon." Hagus grumbles under his breath, mumbling, "The El is still with the bandits. On my way here, I heard some townspeople saying how there's a group of bandits at the edge of Noah's Lake."

Rena hears this, "Noah's Lake...let's hope we find something there."

Elsword swings his sword over his shoulder, grinning his obnoxious smile. "Right, as my sister told me numerous times, 'Move if you have time to think.'"

"Siblings...of course they think alike," sighs out Aisha, shrugging her shoulders.

On their way back to Ruben, Rui suddenly tenses and feels a surge of anger pierce his body.

" _What is this feeling…? It makes me want to...kill…"_

Making sure no one sees, Rui grips his heart and slowly trails behind the El Search Party. As they walk on, Ain looks on with a hardened frown.

" _I know, Rui. What happened in your original world...that is what I must atone for."_


	3. Bonus Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! My name is Rain, speaking in place of our storyteller. Thank you for all the support you're giving to our story. Please continue to root for us as we restore the El once more. As a reward, after each major area, we will display a bonus chapter depicting events from the original world. It is canon to the plot, so don't miss out! Some of these are pretty sad, but others, like this one, is more fun and light-hearted. We didn't just suffer in our original world after all!_

 **Bonus Chapter 1: How Elsword Became a Rune Slayer**

"So Elsword, I thought you always wanted to be a Lord Knight. Why are you a Rune Slayer?" asks Rain, sipping on a bottle of cold water. The night is hot and deserted, but the group remains unaffected.

Elsword briefly thinks for a moment. The rest of the group ponders as well, sitting in a gathered circle around the fire that the Rune Slayer lit.

"Well, it all started when we were talking about our first class advancement…"

 _Flashback:_

"So we need to pick one?" Aisha asks as she looks through the different way that her magic can be improved. Rena also glosses through the possibilities, seemingly unable to choose.

"Finally! After all of my hard work, I can start on my path to become like my sister!" Elsword exclaims. Before he can accept the quest, however, Rena stops him. "Wait Elsword, I've been noticing that you're having trouble handling magical attacks. Even if you can dispatch them quickly, you also take quite a bit of damage doing so."

"I guess you have a point, but that's why I have you to cover me, right?" Elsword smirks, purposely ignoring the mage. The purple-haired girl glares back irritatedly.

"Sure, but what if you are alone? You need to be able to finish them off without our help."

"In that case, maybe I should consider my options more carefully…" he hesitantly agrees, sudden remembering the feel of fire and ice against his body.

Aisha, on the other hand, stares at the profile for High Magician.

" _Back when my powers weren't stolen, I had all of this and more. To think I have to pick one…"_

Mulling over the choices again, she finds the idea of controlling the elements more appealing than controlling time magic or, dare she says it, dark magic.

Ain looks over the mage with mild interest. The intensity that he sees in her eyes can match the fire in Elsword's, but instead of recklessness, he spots a tinge of longing.

" _Her resolve...she'll only grow corrupt as that power grows."_

After experiencing the events that happened in Ruben, Ain is starting to lose his programmed faith in the humans he is supposed to save. How can he distinguish who's walking the path of light from the people reveling in the darkness? He scans the options laid before him: the path to fully embrace the Goddess's power, the path to use the El in harmony with his powers, and the third…

He shudders at the third option.

Before he can dwell on it anymore, Aisha runs off from the group to talk to Echo.

…

"That girl...where did she go?" Rena huffs as she and Elsword invade Wally's castle. Since they have to start in the same location, they thought it was best to team up.

"I'm sure that girl is fine. She's too stubborn to die anyway," Elsword half-heartedly reassures. He attempts to change the topic by asking about her choice.

"Oh, why do I want to focus on my kicks? Let's see. Aisha is actually really capable of shooting from afar, and I find myself in front of the enemy most of the time."

"Right…" He remembers the slight panic on her face when she finds herself a bit too close to an enemy's face. "I'm sure a kick would be faster than stringing an arrow too."

"Exactly. Oh, Elsword watch out!" Rena launches herself into a flip, kicking the guard on his head, and then proceeds into another flip, effectively knocking him out.

"Assault Kick!"

The knight flushes at the collapsed guard. When the elf turns to the swordsman, he looks away with tinted cheeks.

"I should really get started on these fire spells," he says, finally.

…

In the depths of Shadow Forest, a bright, all too bright, light glides through the masses of mages that occupy the twisted space. The boy grunts as he throws spear after spear, orb after orb, at each enemy that stands in his way.

"No good. There has to be some other weapon I can craft."

He throws another thin spear. Then another. Then another. The power flowing through Ain grows and grows, and he finds himself reveling in it. His doubts, his despair: all of it is tossed away by every flick of his wrist.

Once he arrives at the end of a clearing, the floor rumbles as a monster in the shape of a possessed tree trunk comes to walk slowly to the goddess's emissary. Ain throws several orbs at the remaining dark mages plaguing the creature, but they remain stubbornly alive.

"Very well...Awaken!" he shouts, utilizing the goddess's power to change his appearance. As his coat inverses color and his hair turns white, the pendulum in his hand breaks and dissipates. He tosses his orbs again, this time even faster than before, and materializes spears to rain down on the pesky mages. They fall instantly, but when one of those orbs touches the ent, he roars indignantly and lifts both of his hands to pound the ground. Ain jumps quickly and stomps quickly, avoiding the attack and setting himself to dash towards the corrupted creature. He makes a longsword and thrusts through the ent with it, where then, a spear materializes to stab his opponent. But since Ain has his back to it, he doesn't see the dark cloud the ent releases. The attack sprays against his back and causes him to fall down on his face.

"Grk...I must purify this place…"

He rolls back to his feet. Pulling his hands back as if to string an arrow, he creates yet another spear that is bigger and longer than the ones he usually creates.

"Erst • Bohren."

He lets the spear go, and the force of the attack causes the orange glow within the ent to fade. It drops to the floor, lifeless. Ain sees the forest darken even more and decides his work is done here.

…

Aisha impatiently twirls her staff as they stand in front of Wally's Castle. "I can't believe I had to snag William's necklace. That guy even started to use some of Elsword's skills!"

Elsword recoils back. "Well, you're just lucky they're just an imitation. They probably didn't match up to the real thing, right Aisha?" He goes to muzzle her head, but she remains indifferent to what he's doing.

"Yeah, it wasn't like the original," she mutters out. The redhead, confused over her behavior, snaps his fingers in front of her. This accidently lights a fireball in his hand, and Aisha jumps back instinctively.

"What are you trying to do, burn me?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Ow! Aisha! Stop! I get it!"

Rena once again sighs as the mage, face red with fury (and possibly embarrassment), summon her own fireballs to throw at the apologetic swordsman. The resulting commotion draws the guards surrounding the palace to them, and they soon find themselves running further and further into the castle.

"I-I don't think we ever went this far into the castle!" pants out Elsword.

"I have never stepped foot in this place! Now shoot them all down before we get clobbered!" screams Aisha. Elsword turns around to face the pouncing hoard of guards, waiting until they almost collide with him. He smirks when they came too close to dodge his attack. Swinging his blade down, he makes the ground erupt lava under the guards' flailing feet.

"Triple Geyser!"

He watches them fly up into the sky before running to catch up to his comrades. As they progress, the group finds even more guards blocking their way. Rena notches a quick arrow, one brimming with fire magic, and lets it loose. The attack soars with the visage of a phoenix, and any person touched by the fiery arrow was swept back.

"Phoenix Strike!"

Some of the guards, while their armor is burned in some places, pick themselves back up and readies their weapon. Several arrows hit Rena on the side of her head and her body, causing her to fall down and let out a strained cry.

"Rena! Ahhh!"

Aisha attempts to rush up to the fallen archer, but that same sharpshooter that shot Rena takes aim at the mage and batters her with arrows. The purple-haired girl sees Elsword going over to destroy the bunker holding the archer, whacking the structure with quick flicks of his sword. She slowly stand back on her feet, grimacing at the damage she had taken.

"I won't...be left behind!" Aisha shouts.

Running ahead of the group, the mage encounters a bigger man with a formidable club. He positions his club into a swinging position, but his momentum was slow, way too slow. Aisha hops backwards and charges up her mana. She quickly memorizes her three most powerful skills, gulping down a mana potion to speed the process, as Elsword and Rena catch up to her and start pelting the huge man with kicks and sword swings. Once she finishes, Aisha points her staff forward.

"Lightning Bolt!"

As her shout describes, a streak of electricity pierces Vergnert, bringing him down to his knees. Aisha teleports next to the fallen guard, lifts her staff to the sky, and summons a giant pillar of fire that engulfs her enemy until he was covered in heavy burns.

"Gust Storm!"

She doesn't let up with her attacks. As soon as Vergnert can even attempt to regain his bearings, a meteor drops onto his battered body. Elsword, while jumping away from the now dead guard, whistles at the damage.

"Geez Aisha, you really went all out."

"But of course. He was no match for me."

There was something different about the mage that Elsword can't ignore. Maybe it was her all-out bombardment...but he feels a weird sensation. It feels like trust, maybe awe. Whatever it is, it's making him look at her with widened eyes.

"Hey, Elboy! What are you staring at?"

Her voice snaps him out of his daze, and he attempts to cover his momentary lapse by looking away.

"N-Nothing!"

…

"Urrkk!"

Elsword finds himself blasted down by yet another missile. He hears Aisha scream as she takes the missile's brethren head on, rolling on the castle courtyard. The robot's left foot stomps down next to Rena, causing her heart to skip a beat.

"Are you guys okay?!" the elf shouts as she turns her head to the fallen mage. The purple-haired girl picks herself up and shouts out in mild horror.

"Rena! Watch out!"

The elf only stares back with the same expression as a heavy arm slams against her right side, bashing her into the floor.

"AHHH!"

"Rena!" they both shout. Elsword takes this time to dash forward and unleash a dizzying combo of slashes that pushed the robot back. He releases a shout to the heavens, feeling the fire swirling around him as a geyser erupts from his body to engulf his opponent. The armor scorches in response to his fierce attack.

Aisha uses Elsword's distraction to regain her footing and start memorizing her spells.

" _First, Lightning bolt, then Meteor Call, then Gust Storm."_

"Rena, watch out! Elsword, get back!"

The mage, letting out a battle cry, flicks her staff down to unleash a bright flash of lightning. Upon seeing her attack come in his direction, Elsword drops to the floor and rolls once to escape. Leftover crackles of electricity shake the beaten robot, but Aisha isn't done yet. Her next attack quickly slams down a meteor onto the battlefield, yet the battered machine still has the speed to only get its left arm nicked by her spell.

"Surround it! We'll attack it all at once!" Rena shouts as she plants her feet into the castle grounds and notches an arrow imbued with wind. Aisha teleports near the boss and lets loose her last memorized spell.

"Perfect-!"

"Gust-!"

The swing of a bright blue pendulum, followed by an unknown symbol, flashes in Elsword's eyes. Ain materializes next to him, already awakened in his Creation Mode.

"I'll freeze it," he simply says as a thin string of energy is released from his hands. A stream of El energy erupts afterward, shaped in tiny, identical characters. The robot is quickly covered in ice, though its bruised armor defiantly attempts to break free.

"Thank you, Ain, but you look a bit different," Elsword murmurs, taking a small glance at his new appearance. His jacket is gone, replaced with a white shirt with a flap attached to his lower back. His hood is smaller and now completely white, and two weird strings with gold ornaments whip around behind him.

"Be sure you finish the job," the emissary quietly replies, remaking his pendulum and disappearing a moment later. The strange symbol and pendulum swings across Elsword's eyes again, and time resumes.

"STORM!"

As a cyclone of wind hurriedly rampages towards the robot, a tornado of fire swallows the battlefield. When the two attacks collide, the intensity of the flames increased, shooting desperately to the sky as it attempts to send its victim to its end. The storm disperses, leaving behind a half-crumbled pile of metal that can barely twitch. Elsword, shouting at the top of his lungs, rushes in and stabs his blade in.

There is a moment of silence when he withdraws his sword. A quiet thud, the sound of heavy panting from all of them. The defeated robot falls forward, nearly slamming into the exhausted Elsword.

"W-we did it," Aisha whispers, falling to the floor in exhaustion.

"L-let's head back when we regain our breath," Rena heaves out, dropping onto her back and staring at the blue sky.

…

"Okay, Echo finished what she needed to do. Good luck on your journey, Aisha."

"Thanks so much!"

"Oh and here! New clothes for the new High Magician!"

Letting out a nervous laugh, Aisha gratefully accepts the gift. A white dress with a rounded skirt, adorned with purple markings and a yellow bow at the chest area, rests lightly in her arms. She finds a new pair of long white socks and brown shoes waiting underneath the dress. Smiling as she walks down to the nearest place to change, she bumps into a man with a large golden sword by his waist rather forcefully.

"W-Woah!"

Her staff falls to the floor as she struggles to stabilize herself. The man grabs her arm gently to help her, reaching down to grab her weapon.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"I'm glad. I should really be more careful around pretty girls."

She flushes at his indirect compliment. Is he one of those types? The man flushes slightly and awkwardly flicks his shady bangs.

"My bad. My mouth happens to run off at the worst times."

"It's fine. No one has really called me that."

"Really? That's a true shame." Listening to this man is refreshing to the mage. She finds herself lured in by his awkward yet confident tone. Aisha smiles at him and decides that she wants to get to know him a bit better.

"I know right? I have this companion that insults me constantly about my chest. I mean, come on. There's more to a girl than her bust size!"

…

"Wait, is that how you guys met Rui?" Rain gasps lightly.

"More like this womanizer wormed his way into our group by wooing Aisha," bitterly answers Elsword. He wills the fire in the middle to burn brighter, trying his best to hide his face. Aisha flinches, frowning when he doesn't say anything else.

" _Why is there this tension around him and Rui? Besides, I can tell Rui is hopelessly in love with Rain. They can't be fighting over me, right?"_

Rain shifts her gaze between the mage and her pupil. Rui snaps back about being nice to women, unlike the Rune Slayer, and soon, they begin the tensest glaring contest they had to date.

" _I feel bad for the girl. Doomed to have the one she loves only view her as a mentor. Then again, Elsword is always a bit thick-headed and dense. It would help if he stopped being so aloof."_

Coughing to catch everyone's attention, Rain questions Elsword, "So the reason you ditched becoming a Lord Knight is so that you can be more well-rounded with your attacks and cover up your weakness?"

"Well, yes, in a nutshell."

"So why don't you tell us why Aisha is your mentor? According to you back then, she didn't do anything." The curious smirk on Rain's face reveals her hidden intentions. Though she can't see the Rune Slayer's face, she can feel him squirming in his seat. The rest of the group chimes in their interest, adding to the flames of embarrassment.

"I may have thought that back then," he starts with an unsteady voice. "But it was actually Rena's suggestion…"

…

"Who's this person, Aisha?"

The high magician, already dressed in her new clothes (and who officially learned how to put her hair in a bun), stares blankly at the swordsman. Rui, who has been nibbling on a muffin, turns to address him with a small smirk.

"I'm Rui. I happen to bump into this lovely girl here, and we decided to have lunch together."

This doesn't seem to placate Elsword. He slumps down in the seat next to the mage. For some reason, something about this guy did not sit well with him at all.

"Oh really? It seems to me," he pauses, possibly fishing for the right word, "that you two are on a date."

"A-A date?! W-where did you even learn about that?!" she exclaims, exploding with the brightest face he had ever seen. Smirking at the results, he decides to tease her a bit more.

"Oh, Rena saw you guys and thought it was cute that you were out with someone, or something like that. She then explained it to me...not that I care. I can't imagine anyone going out with a flat-chest like you."

What he expected was her face to turn even brighter. What he didn't expect was the sad excuse of a smile she had plastered on her face. Rui is now glaring at the redhead, trying, but failing, to not make a clenched fist.

"You've gone too far there."

"Hmm? But I say things like this all the time. How is now any different?"

"Why you!"

"Rui, enough. Thank you for standing up to me, but it's okay," Aisha interrupts. Her new friend couldn't hide the indignant, stupefied look of disgust. "No, it's not okay! I don't care if he's your friend or not. He should know that there's a limit!"

The way Aisha looks at him...the way he holds such a serious gaze…it was official. He really does not like this Rui.

And so, when Rena comes back to Aisha exchanging information about her quest to a very intrigued Rui, and an Elsword who is sitting on the opposite side of the table glaring at the two, the elf can't help but feel like she missed something very important.

…

"Elsword, you're still glaring at those two. What happened while I went to get food?" the elf persists again. And for the umpteen time that day, he groans out his answer.

"Nothing really. I just think this guy's a creeper or something."

"Is that so? I think he's a rather nice person. He even managed to have a decent conversation with her. It's rather refreshing that I don't have to break up you guys every time you talk."

"Yeah? Well, good for you, I suppose."

Glancing at their new travel companion, Rena observes Aisha's bright smile as Rui gestures to the sword on his belt. Elsword, in turn, grips his own sword.

Oh, so that's what this is. How interesting…

"I know! Since you're going to have to improve on your fire magic, you should have Aisha teach you!"

"W-what?!"

His outburst attracts the attention of their other companions. As Aisha tilts her head and questions the elf, Elsword tries his best to keep his eyes on the floor.

"Well, I was thinking that with your level of experience, you can whip him in shape!"

The mage thinks for a moment, tapping her chin a few times. "Well, I suppose I can, but will he really listen to me?" At this, the elf throws the most sinister smile she can possibly muster. _"I never show this to anyone, but this is for a good cause!"_ she thinks as Elsword's face turns from disbelief to downright terror.

"Oh, he will, Aisha. I'll make sure of it."

"R-Rena?"

"Accept or else."

"I-I'm not scared of you, and I certainly don't need a purple-head like her to help me."

A few well-placed kicks to his head later, Elsword reluctantly becomes Aisha's pupil.

…

The whole group bursts into a chorus of laughter, except for Eve, Elsword, and Aisha. Raven and Rena both clutch each other's backs as they attempt to stabilize their breathing. Chung leans against the log behind him, howling at the sky. Rain, in the midst of laughing, tries to imitate what Rena's world-ending smile was, while the elf shakes her head continuously, unable to stop her chortles as she corrects the blue-haired girl.

"No, no! You have to spread your lips more!"

"I-I'm trying, but it's so hard when you can't stop laughing!"

Elsword buries his head in his hand and waits for everyone to calm down. Aisha chuckles along with them, but it sounds forced.

"Now I see why Elsword listens to Aisha so well," Eve comments nonchalantly. The Rune Slayer, seeking to end this now humiliating recount, pathetically mumbles, "Rena's scary, okay? And I've learned my lesson about how to treat Aisha. She's not that bad once you get past the bratty attitude."

Rui observes the swordsman with a distant gaze. He catches Rain giving him a smirk, and he retaliates by giving one of his own.

" _It looks like he's getting there,"_ they both think.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Choking Nightmares**

 _The sky is bleeding profusely._

 _Many, many demons surrounded his wounded body, choking the miniscule space that he had. Fire was everywhere. It was all he could see as he scanned the battlefield. Buildings were toppled, the rubble lying helplessly on the burning ground. A fresh wave of pain forces his red orbs to hide underneath his eyelids._

 _He couldn't move. His energy felt depleted, his legs refusing to move. The warrior slowly lifts his head and opens his eyes again, grimacing at the pain that racks his body. With his vision blurring rapidly, he wonders if this is the end for him._

" _HAAAA!"_

 _A very familiar battle cry shakes his hazy soul, and he loses his breath when a goddess of white descends in front of him._

 _What is she doing here?_

 _She is saying something to him, but he cannot hear her voice. The pain is paralyzing, rendering him unable to reach her. He feels the familiar annoyance of being scolded, and the small fire that she ignites within him pulls his lips upwards._

 _But then...she turns her back to him, and he sees the world shaking in his eyes. His stomach plunges in despair, realizing what she's about to do._

" _I'm sorry Elsword…"_

 _She swipes her staff once, and a wave of fire blinds him. His throat, despite being blocked by an immovable lump, feels ready to let out an earth-shaking scream._

…

 _He feels his mouth moving, gasping. The girl in his arms is bleeding heavily, staining his gloves and his bare stomach. Her eyes are blank and depleted. It was clear that she has already departed from the world. Next to her, her staff lays broken, scattered into a million pieces._

 _He can feel tears staining his vision. His entire body shakes and shivers as it holds the crushing weight of her fallen form. He eventually puts her down and casts one simple rune, creating a shield around her. He turns to the demons surrounding them and lets out one final desperate battle cry._

" _AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Elsword wakes, screaming with manic in his eyes. Gasping for breath, he takes a few minutes to calm the anger and panic in his heart. He feels his forehead and wipes the sweat off it, still feeling the strain of his hands gripping a sword and the intense burn of fire.

"What was that?" he wonders aloud.

"Elsword!"

He turns to the sound of his name being called. Rain is breathing heavily, staring at him with a panicked expression. She immediately places her hand on his forehead, silently noting the tears falling from his face.

"R-Rain? Why are you here?"

"I heard you screaming. What happened?"

The swordsman looks out the window of their room in Ruben. "Did I wake anyone else?" he asks tentatively. She shakes her head and once again begins to inquire.

"I-It's really nothing. Just a nightmare."

"A nightmare? Would you like to tell me about it?"

He hesitates. Looking back at the dream, Elsword thinks that Rain fits the description of the mystery person who saved him, but then he clearly remembers the weapon she was wielding. A staff? There's only one person in this group who uses a staff…

"No, I don't want to remember it. I have to focus on getting a good night's sleep so that we can get the bandits tomorrow."

"Very well." Elsword's eyes perk up at the sudden shift in her voice.

"You've changed again," he dumbly says.

She shakes her head once and tests her voice out. "Please sleep well, Elsword. I'm sure it's just a bad dream."

Relieved that Rain is back to normal, he nods and collapses into a restless sleep.

…

"Elder is an important town for trade and travel. We receive a lot of supplies from them, and I also happen to know Hoffman personally."

The Elgang quietly tears through their breakfast as Hagus supplies them information about the next town over. Aisha sneers at the mention of merchants, mumbling how her past experiences has marred her trust for them.

"Even if merchants did something to you, Aisha, they are the reason I can feed myself," Rui calmly bites back, which causes the mage to let out a huff. The older man grumbles to grab their attention.

"Everyone, please take care of Elsword for me. Unlike his appearance, he's quite fragile."

"No thanks," retorts Elsword.

"Actually, yes thanks. You're getting whipped by everyone, even our healer," Aisha snaps back, her smirk growing bigger as Rena and Rui restrain him from his sword. Rain, shooting him a worried frown, bows to Hagus once again.

"We'll take good care of him."

The healer feels the tug on her consciousness, and she finds herself thinking with the voice in her head, _"I wonder what he dreamed about."_

…

" _Ainchase Ishmael."_

 _Her creation lifts his eyes open. He bows to the goddess, keeping a calm and kind demeanor._

" _Goddess Ishmael."_

" _Listen carefully, Ain. What I'm about to do is risky and potentially dangerous to your well-being."_

" _Do not worry, Goddess. I will follow your orders to the end."_

" _That is what you must not do. The world we are in is not one that is supposed to exist."_

" _Pardon?" he tentatively speaks back._

" _The man Glave has used the powers of Henir to recreate the world. It is a world shaped by one man's memories, therefore it is inherently unstable. The original world has already been destroyed."_

" _That can't be…"_

" _As such, as my emissary, you do have a mission to preserve this unstable world. But I have made a grave mistake that caused our original world to collapse, and now I must atone."_

" _A mistake…? Atonement?"_

" _Yes, we both made an unforgivable mistake. As such, for this world, I plan to set things right."_

" _But I've only just been created, Goddess. How have I erred?"_

" _I am going to give you the memories of the Ain in the original world. After observing and gaining knowledge from them, you are then free to choose your own life. The moment you step into Elrios, you are not bound to my words anymore."_

" _I am to choose? But Goddess…!"_

" _Ainchase, I'm afraid I have become a mere spectator in this world. All I can do is fulfill that man's wish and set you off into the world."_

 _The lofty angel raises to his feet._

" _If that is my mission, then so be it. I am ready."_

" _One more thing before I set you off into the world. What I'm about to give you might make you lose faith in yourself and in me. But if I know you, Ain…"_

 _He feels warmth on his cheek, something rubbing him slowly and softly._

" _You are a good person at heart."_

 _Ain is then assaulted with the memories of his other self. Conflicting feelings. Desire. Disappointment. Betrayal._

 _Regret._

 _All of these emotions swirl around his prone form. He feels a rapid pounding in his head that threatened to tear apart his very existence. His heart is torn to pieces as he feels what this Ain felt, his descent into madness._

" _These feelings...are these what humans feel on a daily basis?"_

" _Yes, Ain. That is something you failed to learn in that world. My only wish is that you learn from the mistakes of the past."_

 _The pain finally subsides, but Ain drops to his knees, visibly shaken._

" _What is your choice, Ain? Know that whatever you pick, I will not intervene or stop you."_

 _After a moment of heart-stopping silence, her emissary stands again and stares with a determined fire in his eyes._

" _I choose...to redeem myself."_

…

"Why are there so many bandits?!" Elsword shouts as he swings his sword over the head of yet another masked man. A hoard of thieves rushes in to ambush the warrior, but he charges to them, releasing a flurry of sword swings before bursting into a pillar of fire, effectively sweeping his enemies up and away.

"Unlimited Blade!"

"Idiot, it's because Banthus put them there of course!" Aisha shouts back, firing another fireball at another unfortunate bandit. She senses another person running towards her, and she retaliates by teleporting backwards and tossing a fireball into his unguarded back. A few quick whacks with her staff is enough to knock her opponent out. The mage smirks once before running forward with the others.

"Go! I'll clear the way!" Rena hollers as she prepares another arrow, this time one bolstered with the power of wind. She unleashes it, and a furious tornado bellows through the area.

"Perfect Storm!"

"Everyone, move!" Rui yells over the wind, grabbing Rain by the wrist. Elsword enters the town first, groaning from the strain of his muscles. Aisha follows right after, hunching over her knees and gasping in the same matter as Elsword. The rest of the group reconvenes with them a few moments later.

"Geez, they just keep coming," Elsword complains.

"No kidding," pants out Aisha.

There were some people who stare at them weirdly and mutter into each other's ears, and one runs off to bring a hefty man with a proud beard. As they stand awkwardly in the plaza, Rain looks around the busy town, teeming with busy merchants discussing random deals and news of the outside world.

But the more she focuses, the more the town blurs in her sight. Some of the town feels distorted, with buildings flicking little by little around the edges. People's faces became blank slates: faces that twists in the light before ultimately smearing into a foggy visage. The statue of Wally is crystal clear, however, drastically standing out from the rest of the anonymous buildings around her. Rain feels the mysterious soul inside her pound against her head again, and she falls down clutching her head.

"Rain! What's wrong?!" Rui cries out. She hears Aisha and Rena barrage the townspeople with demands to help her, but she slowly picks herself up, eyes downcast. The bearded man finally comes over to them, but he eyes them warily. Elsword ignores his gaze and impatiently asks, "Are you Hoffman? Know a bandit called Banthus?" The moment he spews it out however, Aisha gives a swift blow to his head with her staff. Rain immediately bows, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Hello, Mr. Hoffman. We are here as Hagus requested," the healer slowly greets.

He still gives that exasperated, disappointed glare, but then he turns his back to them and walks in the direction of his house.

"I've heard a lot from Hagus. Please, follow me and make yourself at home," he finally says.

…

"I think we've had enough tea. Tell us about Banthus," Aisha impatiently demands as she finishes her third cup. Elsword nods in agreement, but Rain and Rena glares at them both, inwardly scolding them for their lack of restraint. Hoffman clears his throat as he prepares to feed the group some information.

"Banthus is also known in Elder. But first, I would like you to know that the disappearance of Ruben's El Shard isn't the only reported case. Apparently, several other towns have also seen their El Shard taken away. And yet, the lord of this land isn't doing anything except staying inside of his castle. Even the guards have retreated back to his palace. And because of that, there's been an increase of bandits targeting traveling merchants."

"That explains a lot. I was beginning to wonder why there were more suspicious behavior when I was heading here," Rui murmurs. Hoffman take a second to observe the newest member of the El Search Party and lets out a groan of recognition.

"Oh, Rui. I almost didn't recognize you."

"It's been a while, Mr. Hoffman."

"Yes, it has. Why are you hanging around with a bunch of adventurers?" The paper blader lets out a smile, almost brimming with nostalgia.

"Let's just say, they saved my life. I'm especially indebted to this lovely girl here," he explains, sending a flirty smile at Rain. The healer looks away immediately, but not before he sees the splash of red starting to color her cheeks. Hoffman bellows out a light chuckle.

"I see. Anyway, back to what you wanted. Banthus is the leader of the bandits around here, but now he's done something unimaginable. I would like to give you more information, but in the world of merchants, nothing is free."

"I knew it. Stingy merchants," Aisha huffs out, glaring at the older man. Rui, placing a hand on her shoulder, shakes his head as if to dissuade her thoughts and picks up their conversation.

"What do you want us to do? We do need information, but I prefer if your tasks aren't time-consuming, if you know what I mean."

"I already know the level of trust I place onto you, Rui, but for your companions, they must prove themselves to me. If you are successful, then we, the merchants, will help out however we can."

"Alright," Rena complies, "It seems like you guys have a pretty good grasp on things, so we trust you. I just hope our tasks aren't too long, like Rui said."

"Then I'll get straight to the point. Recently, there's been an increase in aggression from the forest spirits that are causing problems with the villagers. This hasn't happened until the El Shard was taken, so I'm assuming that Banthus might be involved. Can you investigate it for us?"

"Forest spirits? Yes, I imagine they would get rowdy because of that. Don't worry, we'll take care of it," says Rena, concluding their talk with the leader of Elder's merchant guild.

…

"We don't have time for this! What if Banthus gets away while we're off doing some lame chore for the merchants?!" Aisha exclaims. Rui sighs again, tired of trying to temper the girl's tantum.

"We should investigate it, Aisha," Rain urges before anyone else can. "The forest he mentioned isn't like the ones you know. Any trace of abnormal activity will help us locate Banthus."

"Wait, how do you know that, Rain?" Rena suspects that it's not really Rain talking to them, but she keeps that thought to herself. Sure enough, the healer rapidly tosses her head to fling away the voice in her head.

"I-I don't know. All I know is that there's something not right about it. I can feel it."

Elsword, despite his ambitious personality, is oddly quiet. He seems more on edge, as if waiting for something to ambush them. The grip on his sword is tighter than he had ever used before, and his eyes are narrowed, searching.

"Elsword, what's wrong?" Rena calls out, noticing his weird behavior.

"N-Nothing! I think Rain is right about being on our guard."

"You, cautious? I never thought I'd hear that from Mr. Reckless," says Aisha with a taunting grin. The familiar annoyance seeps through his blood, and the cocky smile on his face returns. "Heh, you know me, but it's not like you'll listen too, flat-chest!"

"Again?! Stop commenting on my chest size!"

"Please," he snorts, dragging out the sound of the word. "Talk to me again when they actually become noticeable!"

"Why you little-!"

A sharp gasp snaps the two out of their normal bickering. Rena has a hand over her mouth, slowly stepping back in shock. Her other hand twitches, her fingers tapping against her bow. The rest of the group looks to see what's wrong, and finds themselves in the same state.

"T-The trees-!" Aisha started.

"They're purple!" Elsword finishes. Rain can see the ooze of dark energy pouring out from the barks, searching for its next victims to infect. Rena covers her nose now as the energy stretches its ghastly fingers to her. The healer is assaulted by a wave of panic, and she dashes over to the elf to push her away.

"No, don't corrupt her!" she shouts. Clasping her hands together, Rain begins to sing a song that instantly makes the miasma recoil back into the shadow forest. As she sings, Rena steadies herself, watching the dark energy flee the healer's presence.

"Rain, how did you do that?" asks Rui.

She finishes off the song with a few hums. "The elven elder noticed how my voice can quell away corruption and trained me in order to increase the potency of it. But with where I am now, I cannot purify this forest by myself." The healer feels her consciousness being pushed back, and the voice in her head takes over her body.

"Here's the plan. I will go ahead of the group and sing that song again. Your job is to protect me from the creatures inside. Stay near me, and you won't be affected too much by the dark energy. Especially you, Rena. Elves are more susceptible to corruption."

" _No, stop! Don't talk to my friends like that!"_ Rain screams internally. She fights for control again, causing her to drop to the floor and clutch her head. Her voice comes out in sputtered syllables, shifting between the two at almost untraceable speeds.

"Don't fight-!"

"Stop! Who are-?!"

The raging headache in her head racks her body, but she continues to shove the other voice back into the back of her mind. After what seems like hours, the healer shakily rises to her feet, gulping down puffs of air to soothe her mind. Rui is the first to go up to her. He places his hands on her shoulders gently and rubs them slowly.

"I think we need to address this soon, but after our task. Is that fine with everyone?" the paper blader calls out. The rest of the group gives their approval, but Rain only wants to run from the voice in her head.

"So, do you follow what she said?" questions Aisha as she nervously twirls her staff. Their healer takes a few more breaths to steady her throat. She releases a few hums of that soft and quiet song and heads forward.

"I guess we do." The elf runs over to stick to Rain's back while Elsword and Rui overtake the singing girl to guard her front. Aisha teleports to her side with a fireball already in her hand. As they proceed, the branches of the corrupted trees slowly block the blue sky. Rain's light, yet raspy, notes circle around the forest, swaying the dark leaves gently. The path becomes less visible the further in they go, and Aisha wills the fireball in her hand to glow brighter. Rena hears a couple of rocks plummet down a few steps away, and she gestures for them to be careful jumping down. Elsword leaps first, followed by Rain and Rui, who grasps Rain's hand to keep her focus on maintaining the song. Rena quickly hops off after them and lands with a soft thud before immediately clinging to the healer. Aisha simply teleports again, which earned her a faint "show-off" from the redhead.

A dark mage takes notice of their descent and prepares to fire a spell at them. Rain uses her mana to create two daggers, but Rena lightly pushes her hand down. "Let us do the fighting," she simply commands. The healer nods and increases the volume of her voice. Her song shakes the trees even more; the dark energy resists against her purification even more. Rui loads his precious card into his blade and lets it emit the same purple color as their surroundings. Rena notches an orange-tinted arrow and aims it at the mage, but she doesn't release it fast enough to stop her opponent from casting its spell. A cloud of dark magic floats steadily towards the group, its target the singing girl. Elsword rushes forward, sidestepping the attack and slamming his blade into the mage's body. Rena's arrow pierces it shortly afterwards, just enough to take away its life. The projectile continues its course to Rain, but she must have sensed it, for she quickly weaves a dagger and flicks it, dispelling the ghastly orb.

"What are these wizards? Why are they here?" Aisha mumbles under her breath. The group stumbles upon forest spirits, tainted with the dark blue and purple that unnaturally colors the trees. Rui unleashes a wave of lightning towards one with large arms, and the cry that it releases makes Rena shiver in shame.

" _Don't worry. We'll save all of you soon!"_

One spirit happens to lunge next to Elsword and slaps his cheeks with her hair-like appendages. Rain has her eyes closed as to channel more of her attention into her song, but the rest of the group fails to hide their snickers as the swordsman finally lands a clean slice on its body.

"Not another word."

…

"Oh god! That hurts! Way more powerful than Aisha's lightning!" exclaims Elsword, launching himself into a roll. Kira-Kira laughs hauntingly at its attack and begins to charge up dark energy. "I'll show you, redhead!" Aisha hollers as she awakens. Immediately, she memorizes her lightning spell and slams her staff down. The bolt quickly reaches the dark mage, but Aisha, not letting up, lets loose her spell a second time.

"Let me join you, Aisha," Rui warns, positioning himself into a crouch. Electricity travels the length of his golden sword, slowly forming a long fang. Before anyone can register the force pushing against them, Rui plunges his sword into the mage, making sure that it stabs through the end of it. As a final attempt to take someone down with it, Kira-Kira points its staff at Rui and shakily casts a cloud of dark energy. It only shatters upon hitting his face, having little effect beside throwing the blader into a coughing fit.

"Keep moving, guys. It seems like the dark energy is intensifying, and Rain can only sing for so long," urges Rena, feeling more and more uncomfortable. The energy seeping through the trees are coming out in thicker waves, circling around the group patiently, waiting for the blue-haired singer to collapse under the strain. Her voice gets softer and softer, struggling to keep the song swirling in the air.

It only takes Rui another three steps before a surge of anger and bloodlust pumps his heart. Someone is following them. He aims his sword behind him and summons a magical cage to trap a faint blue light.

"Who or what are you? Show yourself," Rui growls out, his blade engulfed in a black aura. Dark energy from the forest eagerly possesses his sword, which dims the golden shine that it emits. Rain stops singing, but the spirals of dark energy isn't interested with corrupting the members of the El Search Party.

The blue ball of light glows brighter for a second and is replaced with a gray-haired man with blue highlights. Dressed in a white overcoat over a green-blue shirt, white pants, and white boots tinted with brown edges, the man lets out a pained groan as he grips his pendulum loosely in his hand.

"I-It seems that I should have been more careful," the captured man slowly wheezes out. "I'd appreciate it if you let me go so that I can explain myself." Rui does not move to release him. Indeed, his glare only deepens, the unexplainable pulses of anger threatening to consume his mind.

"A-Ain? Is that you?" questions the incredulous voice of Rain.

The man, Ain, only widens his eyes at the healer. _"How does she know me? I'm supposed to be the only one who has retained the memories of the original world."_

"Yes, I am Ain. Ainchase Ishmael," he slowly introduces to the group.

"H-Have you been reverted too? I-!"

"S-stop it! I don't know what's wrong with me!" the soft and tired voice that comes out of Rain still hold the same level of panic and fear. She shakes her head wildly, attempting to shove the unknown spirit away. Rui immediately dispels his cage and goes to cradle the healer, whispering soft comfort into her ear. Ain stares on with a sad smile, that accursed memory building bile in his throat.

"So, why are you following us?" Elsword reluctantly asks.

"Yes, I do apologize for stalking you. It is my duty as the Goddess's emissary to retrieve the El back from the people who stole it away. The merchants in Elder has pointed me to this forest, suggesting that I find a group of adventurers already heading there." The group doesn't need to know that he's been following them since their time in Ruben. What matters is finding a way to join their group without any hostilities.

" _Unfortunately, that plan might be dashed, considering that both Rain and Rui know who I am."_

"So you were recruited by the merchants?" Rena continues the interrogation. Ain nods once, trying his best to give an uplifting smile.

"That's right, but I was wondering if you'll let me join your search party."

"Hmm...we have enough people as it is-!"

"Welcome to the club," Elsword happily says, interrupting Aisha's doubts. Ain's smile truly becomes refreshing, like a dump of cold water. "Thank you. I hope that your other companions do not mind."

Aisha pouts at being cut off. Does no one listens to her? "Well, I guess, even with this big of a group, it's fine. It's only to get tougher from now on, anyway." Ain chuckles at her lame attempt to pass off her annoyance.

" _Yes, the purple-haired mage. I remember you well. The one desperately struggling for recognition from the ones she care about the most."_

"Let's get to know each other well, Ain," the elf greets, extending her hand out to the emissary. He shakes it firmly, still lost in his recollection.

" _The elf, young and energetic. When the thing she craves falls apart, the darkness is eager to swallow her."_

"Nice to meet you, Ain! I'm Elsword and this is..." the redhead introduces back, shooting the gray-haired man his signature grin as he casually throws out the names of his companions. Yet, Ain sees something fogging his red orbs, holding back its lustrous glean.

" _Elsword, you can't hide anything from me."_

His worries escalate, however, when Rui comes up to him and points his sword at his neck. "I do not approve of him joining us."

"Rui, do you know him?" whispers Rain, not wanting to strain her voice. The dark energy of the energy continues to greedily surround his blade, feeding off of his unknown anger.

"I-I don't, but I have a feeling he'll be trouble later on."

Ain, bowing his head down into one of his hands, involuntarily recalls one of his most regrettable mistakes. A clean stab, his weapon piercing through that person, and the lack of remorse as she falls down to the floor, dead upon impact.

" _No, I must not let them know. This burden is mine to bear alone."_

"Guys, we have to hurry. The miasma is getting thicker and I can't repel it," shyly urges Rain, trying to break up the tense atmosphere. Reluctantly, Rui drops his blade to his side and trods ahead, his sword swirling with darkness.

"I'm sorry about that, Ain. You're probably a good person."

"No worries, Miss Rain."

"M-Miss? Please just call me by my name." The goddess's emissary chuckles at her flustered insistence because she, quite frankly, looks absolutely adorable. He feels an emotion foreign to him, but it is a pleasant feeling, similar to the sensation he felt when the Goddess strokes his cheek.

"My apologizes. It's a habit."

" _I'm really not a good person, Miss Rain, though I am grateful that you think that way. I hope that you never find out about my crimes, but if you do, please forgive me."_

…

They find themselves in a large clearing illuminated by the trickles of sunlight squeezing through the broad cover of corrupted leaves. Two dark mages dance across the purple field around a bulky pile of wood. When Elsword takes a step forward, planning to interrupt their glee, the pile jolts abruptly. Everyone takes defensive stances as the pile transforms into a giant tree ent, its body a sickly purple like the branches surrounding the domed clearing.

"Oh my El, how can this happen?" Rena murmurs, grimacing at the sight. Ain pulls out his pendulum and summons a projection of a thin blade. "Do not falter, elf. I mean, Rena," he quickly corrects himself.

" _This might get some getting used to."_

"We have to knock it out in order to cease its suffering," Ain hurriedly explains, scanning the group so that they're following his words.

"Alright, that's my cue!" Elsword charges in and slashes the nearest dark mage, not giving it enough time to fully register his attack. Aisha yells at him for being reckless and teleports next to him to offer assistance, but she quickly lets out a small scream, for she lands next to the ent, who is slowly slamming one of its massive arms down next to her left side. Thinking that his attack is finished, the mage gets caught off guard by his other arm punching her up into the air.

"AH!"

"Aisha!" Rain tries to call out, but her voice, almost nonexistent from her overuse earlier, forces her to cough. Rui stands in front of her, ready to defend all attacks coming in her direction. Ain rushes forward and slashes the creature several times to create some distance.

"Elsword, grab its attention," the emissary calls out.

"Okay, let's go, barkface!" The swordsman hollers as he dashes around the ent. Commencing his attack with a clean blow to one of its legs, Elsword then delivers a forceful slice down its back, but the bark is too sturdy to pierce. He leaps out of the way of its attacking arms.

"This thing's tough…"

"That's because it's a tree, idiot! I've seen better gashes from rusty axes!" retorts Aisha as she slowly raises to her feet after the ent tossed her to the sky.

"Don't give me that now!"

Ignoring the pair's incessant bickering, Rui says with a tender smile, "Rain, don't push yourself too hard. Let me protect you while you recover."

"But Aisha!" she sputters out, still wheezing.

"I'm okay! I'm not that fragile, you know," the mage shouts back, rubbing her head with a groan. "We're going to need you, Rain, so save your voice for when it matters the most!"

"R-right!"

Seeing that the dark energy is either swarming around Rui or feeding the giant ent, Rena separates from Rain's side to jump up onto a nearby branch. She fires a series of simple arrows at the other dark mage, its body staggering back at each arrow. Another volley impales her target and pins the dead body to a corrupted tree. As she notches another arrow, the elf jumps off the branch and launches into a backflip over the forest ent.

"Aero Tornado!" The force from her attack pushes Rena up and over the corrupted spirit, and she uses that momentum to tuck into a ball and roll down to the floor. A checkered formation of wind slices through the tough bark, entrapping it. Rui's sword sweeps away the dark energy it's absorbing as he plunges the sword into the ground. A short rumble later, gold chains erupt underneath the tree ent, stabbing through its flickering orange lifeforce. The ent growls in a deep tone, already applying brute strength to the chains that constrain him. Rui starts to sweat as he channels his energy to maintaining the strength of the magical strings.

"Allow me to assist you in restraining it," Ain proposes, placing his hood over his head and crushing the pendulum in his hand. Everything about him seems to invert: his hair becomes an unnatural white, his coat blue and his undershirt white. The sclera of his eyes converts to a heavenly blue and his iris matches the whiteness as his hair. The darkness of the forest is eager to investigate this new phenomenon, for it slowly glides towards the emissary.

"My apologies, but you won't corrupt me, ever," Ain addresses to an imaginary being. A small blast of energy shoots from his fingers, which then triggers a line of pure El energy to explode against the thick bark of the ent's trunk. Clumps of ice clamp all around its body, squeezing the chains closer to its struggling body.

"Now, everyone! Strike!" Ain commands. His hand reaches forward to create a small orb that encases the target. He stands firm as he pours more of his energy, feeding his attack until it doubles in size. Aisha, after escaping an overly worried Rain, who cured the dull headache that was making her lose focus, teleports behind the ent, smirking at her position. She waves her staff up to the blanketed sky and out erupts a pillar of fire that swirls with hunger. Unfortunately, her attack is starting to melt the ice Ain had created, and the ent's struggling grows more intense. Rena, having already foreseen the consequences of Aisha's actions, stands their ground and prepares her siege.

"HAH!" Rena grunts out at every other arrow she releases. The green volley once again inflict heavy damage onto the peeling bark, and the ent roars defiantly, refusing to extinguish the orange lifeforce in his eyes. Rui releases his blade from the ground and lets the dragon feed on the dark energy that had surrounded his weapon all this time. A dragon's fang elongates, and Rui's stance changes to a crouching position. Elsword swings his sword behind him, also looking ready to launch his final attack.

"Lightning Disobey!"

"Assault Slash!"

The trapped forest elder can only toss its flimsy eyes to the covered sky as the two simultaneously thrust their blades into the trunk. The light dims from the inside of the ent, and it doesn't twitch when the ice and chains release its body. Everyone take a moment to catch their breath, but Rain, with her soft, bell-like voice, suddenly burst into a fit of chuckles.

"E-Elsword, your sword didn't even pierce the trunk!"

…

"So there are enraged forest spirits and dark beings lurking around that forest? That's very weird. I suppose I can't blame that on just the El's disappearance," Hoffman mumbles. Everyone except Ain stares on in confusion, not exactly knowing what he means by that.

" _Demons. Of course, he would place them in this world. Conflict must occur if the world wants to change."_

"The part about dark mages worries me," continues the leader of the merchant guild. "They say that they only show up when a place is infested with dark energy. Rumor has it that it might be related to a strange dimension called the demon world."

"Demon world? Does that really exist?" Elsword incredulously questions. His only response is silence and a pained reaction from Ain.

"Ain, what's wrong?" Rain inquires. The emissary only gives her a forced smile. "I'm quite alright. And yes, Elsword, demons do exist."

"Have you encountered them before?"

"Yes, I have. They're not a bunch to sympathize with."

" _Demons…!"_ The healer quickly gasps and instinctively covers her mouth, believing that the spirit in her has taken control again. The rest of the group do not show any signs that indicated she did, however, and she lowers her hand slowly.

"I can hear her," she whispers.

Rena is baffled. "The voice in your head? She's talking to you?"

"I-I don't know, but just now, I heard her say demons."

Hoffman strokes his chin, not caught up on the weird happenings within the party. "If I may continue, I want to thank you all for helping out with the issue. We do have one more task for you, but I need to wait for Luichel to return with more information. In the meantime, why don't you explore the town a bit?"

…

"Alright, guys. Sorry to take this precious time for relaxing to plan a meeting, but I think we need to have a serious talk about what's happening and then get to know each other a bit better," Rena explains in a serious voice. Hoffman had long left, and the group relocates to one of the rooms they rented at the inn.

"But now though? I'm exhausted," Aisha whines. The boys voice their agreements with muted groans and huffs.

"I know that, so I was hoping we have this talk tomorrow morning before we head out. You all better not be late!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," confirms the mage. "I think I'm going to walk around town. Might as well pick up supplies."

"Oh, let me go with you, Aisha," Rena insists, her smile triggering a series of sparkles in her eyes. If there is one thing she likes to do, it's shopping for new items.

"Okay, anyone else?" None of the boys look eager to join them, but Rain, surprisingly, shakes her head too. She keeps looking down, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"We'll be back then!" A door slam later, the room falls into silence.

"I need to clear my head," Rui says after a while, getting up from the bed. He grabs Ain's wrist on the way out, and the emissary lets out a confused sound as he drags them both outside. Now, it is only Rain and Elsword in the room. The redhead, who had been distracted all day, recalls the dream he had the previous night and struggles to push back the prickling feeling in his eyes.

"Rain?"

"Yes?" He can't bring himself to ask her his request. The dream, unsettling as it is, is still fresh in his mind, and as much as he hates to admit it, that dream bothers him more than it should. The boy doesn't think he's ready to share that hellish vision with anyone.

"Get some rest. You did well today."

"I will, and you too, Elsword. I'm sorry for pointing out that your sword wasn't sharp enough."

…

"Rui, I do not understand your aggression towards me. We are strangers, yes?" Ain starts, feigning ignorance at Rui's anger.

"I don't understand it either. Granted, I am a bit distrustful in the beginning of every friendship, but you are different. My heart, my mind...they both want me to make you suffer," Rui gloomingly explains, gripping his sword.

" _I see. His original will is integrated into his reincarnation. This too, I must change."_

"Then strike me," challenges the emissary.

"Excuse me?"

"Strike me with that blade of yours until you are satisfied. I only ask that you spare my life, for there's something that I must do."

For a moment, Rui is tempted. The dark emotions in his heart urges him to kill this man, this random stranger who only offered aid to their cause. What is wrong with him?

"I-I won't. I don't want to harm someone innocent," the paper blader finally replies, equipping the gold sword onto his waist. Ain internally lets out a sigh of relief. The sins of his memories refuses to let him forget them, however, bashing him with repeated clips of his crimes.

" _I am not innocent."_

"I'm grateful that you think that," Ain says instead.

"But I do have one warning for you."

"And what's that?"

"Stay away from Rain. I don't like how you're so comfortable around her." The gray-haired man's smile stretches across his face.

" _It seems Rui is just as prone to jealousy now as he was then. Human emotions...what enigmatic concepts."_

…

"I hope we find something from these bandits," Rain murmurs, scanning the impressive river flowing below their feet. The masked mercenaries patrol every inch of the bridge, all cackling and chatting with one another.

"So do we charge in or pick off the ones we think have some clue to Banthus's whereabouts?" Rui whispers to Rena, his golden sword emitting its normal radiant glow.

"I think we're too tired to take care of them all. We need a distraction."

"Leave that to me," Rain eagerly offers, summoning a few of her daggers. Ain notes the change in character: that fervent lust for action, a more battle-ready posture.

" _It's so much like the Rain in the original world. But that can't be...she's dead like everyone else."_

"Hah!" the healer cries out, throwing out three daggers at a time to the unsuspecting bandits. They immediately draw their weapons, but the deadly precision of her daggers pierces the parts of their bodies that gave them intensified pain. Aisha joins in by tossing well-aimed fireballs to any retreating foes.

"Cowards. Only two of us engaged them!" the mage haughtily boasts. Rain suddenly slows to a halt, and Ain expects the girl to start fighting back for control. To his surprise, the healer only shakes her head once before turning back to the group with a timid grin.

"Look what I found," she merely says, holding up a torn map.

…

"This map...it shows the location of Banthus's hideout," Hoffman examines the wrinkled paper with hidden approval. The El Search Party lets out a small cheer. Finally, they can confront the man who started it all!

"Oh, how lucky!" Luichel joins in.

The sun bathes the sky a pretty orange color, and some shops in the town starts to close up for the night. After letting the party know that more details will be given in the morning, Hoffman bids them a good night.

"So what are our sleeping arrangement?" Aisha abruptly asks as they all head back to the inn. "One of us girls have to share a room with one of the guys."

"Well…"

"Oh…"

An uncomfortable silence. No one dares to speak up at first, lest the group decides to pounce and make them the scapegoat.

"I want to room with Rain actually," Elsword quietly mumbles out. Rena flushes heavily, Aisha gives an appalled glare, Rui chokes on air, and Ain merely raises an eyebrow.

"E-Elsword! I didn't think you had it in you!" the elf exclaims, failing horribly to prevent her mind from drifting to less appropriate places. When had this happened?

"It's not like that, okay?!" Despite his retort, his cheeks are sprayed red. Rui recovers quickly and looks away from Elsword. Who knew Rain was so likeable? The healer, even when the teasing proceeds to her, frowns the entire time.

…

"ARRRGGGGHHHHH!"

Rain awakes to the sound of bloody murder. Snapping up from her bed, the healer immediately glances to the bed next to hers. Elsword, sweating laboriously and teary eyes crazed with anguish, struggles to control the onslaught of emotions washed over him.

"Elsword, is it another nightmare?" she shyly questions.

"No, the same one, but it got more intense. I felt like I was there."

She hops off to go to his side. His tears haven't stopped, but he doesn't make an effort to wipe them away. He grips the blanket in a vice grip, as if he's still trying to snap back to reality.

"Rain, I'm afraid...it felt so real…I can feel the blade in my hand, the magic everywhere…"

"Take deep breaths, Elsword. Tell me once you're ready to." It takes him what seems forever to dry the tracks running down his face. Rain sits patiently, unsure of what to do or say to speed up the process.

"Okay, I think I'm good."

"Whenever you're ready."

"So this is what happened…"


End file.
